Seasons Come And Seasons Go, But Some Never Seem To End

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Our lives seem to consist of the comings and goings of seasons. As we say farewell to the Superbowl and football season, we will soon say hello to March Madness and before you know it, the opening of baseball season. For many in the midwest and east coast the winter season can’t leave soon enough as they shovel snow and skid on the icy roads. As we get older the comings and goings of seasons seems to speed up and we wouldn’t mind them lingering a little longer. Of late, however, the political season seems to be never-ending. There is no lingering between the Presidential election and the off-year election.

The campaigning and positioning seem to be ongoing with, counter attacks and never-ending fund-raising.It isno surprise, then, that the 2014 campaign season is upon us. The first primaries are coming soon and the candidates are staking their positions hoping to attract enough votes to make it into the general election in November. In years past the midterms attracted little attention from most of the electorate. The turnout is traditionally low and the issues are particularly parochial. However, this midterm carries greater weight and may portend the future of the GOP. While most experts expect the GOP to hold onto their majority in the House, the question isn’t about local electoral success, but rather the ability of the GOP to once again become a national party. The redistricting successes of the GOP after the 2010 elections created enough “safe” districts to maintain a majority in the House. However, demographics are turning red states to purple and then blue, and all the redistricting in the world won’t change the national electoral consequences of those realities. Yet the GOP stubbornly holds onto old rants and positions that tend to contract rather than expand its support.

The very visible intransigence, belligerence and tone-deafness of the GOP since the election of President Obama in 2008 has been a disservice both to their party members and our nation. It is clear that if they continue to sustain this posture they will shrink to national insignificance. They need to relearn the word “compromise” and rethink their role on the “national stage”. This will require leadership and strength. It is clearly lacking thus far. The big question is whether they will acquire it soon enough to avoid national extinction.